Well stopper



Nw. u .1924. 1,514,978

G. H. MCLEAN WELL STOPPER' r'lledMay 24, `19225 J7 BY 36 0MM ATTORNEYSPatentedNoiv. 11, 1924.

I WELL srorrER. j

Application :tiled May 24, 1923. `Serial No. 641,199.

To all whom t may eo/noem:

-Be-it known that I, GEORGE H. MCLEAN,

a ycitizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Tampico, .Province ofTamps, Mexico, '5 have invented certain new' and useful Improvements inWell Stoppers, o-f which the -.following is a specification-F71, n

My inventionrelates to improvements in well Stoppers, and consists inthe combinations, constructions'and arrangements herein described andclaimed- An object of the present invention is to provide a well stopperorF plug y, which is Vadapted to be lowered in a well bore to adesirable position and which includes means adapted to =be firstmanipulated by a connection extendingfto the upper end of the well boreto cause the stopper to engage with the well bore in such manner as tobe releasably held against movement along Vthe well bore withoutvpreventing the' passage of Huid therethrough and to be furthermanipulated at any desired time to engage with the well bore in such amanner as to completely close the well ,bore and be permanently heldagainst movement along the latter.

A furtherlobject of the invention is to provide a well stopper of thecharacter described which comprises relatively few parts and which isthoroughly eEectiVe for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will apparent from the followingdescription, con-4 sidered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in whichl igure 1 is a verticaLsectiqn through a well borehaving a well stopperI embodying the invention disposedD therein withthe sp-ect to the well bore, and l Figure 2 isa view similar to Figure1,

showing the closure body in fully expanded or bore-closing position.

Referring n owto the drawings, 1 designates a wellbore and 2isanuelongated lower end of the stem section 3. The socket 4 iscounterb'ored at 6 at the lower end 55 of the stem, thereby defining anannular' shoulder 7 which is intersected by the port-s 5 and is locatedbelow the'level of the upper end of the latter.

A tubular body or barrel 8 is adapted atits 60 upper end to interit thecounterbore 6 and is held in abutting relation to the shoulder 7 by afrangible suspension cable 9 by means of which the barrel 8 lissuspended from the stem. 2. A sleeve 10 which slidably 65 overfits thebarrel 8 and is considerablya shorter than the latter is threadedlyengaged adjacent to its upper end by a nut e 11v resting upon an annularlower head portion 12 of a rsuspension framel which 70- surrounds therupper portion of the barrel 8, whereby the sleeve 10 'will Ibe supportedin position to depend through the annularl'.; lower head 12. Thesuspension frame 13`v includes in addition to the annular lower. head l2a substantially frusto-conical intermediate portion 14 which is integralat its lower end with the outer edge portion ofl the lower head 12` andis integral at its upper end with the inner edge portion vof an annularupper head 15 which encircles the barrel 8. With the "organization justdescribed, the annular internal shoulder 16 uponfwhich the nut 11 restsas hereinbefore closure body in non-closing position in re-`v describedis defined at the juncture of the S5 lower head 12 and the intermediateyportion 14 and an annular external shoulder 17 is defined at thejuncture of the inter-l mediate portion 14 and the upperhead 15. Thesuspension frame 13-'is suspended' fromfno the steml 2 through theagency ofa frangible 'f suspension' element 18 which -extendsthrough v atransverse bore 19 in the lower end portion 3 of theY stem and isattached atfits ends 'to screw eyes 20 which are threadedly er1-95 lgaged with sockets in theupper face of the 1 upper head. 15. The lengthyof the frangible 1" suspension element 18 is such that thesusypensionframe 13 will supportedwith the upper end j, thereof lying -in ahorizontal'loo plane substantially coincident with v4theV plane of thelowerend ofthe stem2 andthe vlower end of the sleeve 10 will bepositioned 4above a lateral port 21^ vin the fbarrel. '8

adjacent to thev lowerik end of the latter. 4 V105 VgThe-inner wall ofthe annular upper'headsj 15 increases in diameter from its lower .to

of the barrel 8. The locking dogs or slide blocks 23 have the innerfaces thereof provided with upwardly inclined teeth 24 and are pressed'downwardly continuously by spring fingers 25 secured on the upper endof the head 15 -by the screw eyes 2O and having. inwardly extending endportions resting upon a washer 26 which in turn is supported upon theupper ends of the locking dogs or slide blocks 23 and to which pressureis transmitted from the spring members 25 -to the locking dogs. Thelatter thus are held continuously in engagement with the barrel 8 for apurpose to be hereinafter described.

Wedge-shaped slide blocks or locking dogs 27 are held against the outerwall of the frusto-conical intermediate portion 14 by headed pins o-rscrews 28 which extend through vertical guide slots 29 in theintermediate portion 14. The pins or screws 28 are adapted to slidealong the guide slots 29 so that the slide blocks 27 may move upwardlyand inwardly into abutting relation to the shoulder 17 as illustrated inFigure 1 or downwardly and outwardly into en--A gagement with the innerwall of the well bore, as illustrated in Figure 2. The slide.

blocks 27 have upwardly directed teeth 29 on their outer faces.

i stop 30 which may be a nut threadedly engaged with the sleeve 1()adjacent to the lower end ofthe latter supports a laterally expansibleclosure body designated generally at 3lwhich is annular in form and isadapted to be disposed on the sleeve 10 between the lower head 12 andthe nut 30. The laterally expansible closure body 31 preferablycomprlses an upper ring section 32 made of a compressible elasticmaterial such as rubber, reinforced and confined at and ad- ]acent toits upper and lower ends by thin caps 33 made of a soft readily bendablematerial, such as lead. The expansible closure also includes a pluralityof superposed ring sections 34 arranged between the section 32 and thenut 30 and each comprising an annular body made of a compressible and,preferably cementitious mixture, such as oakum, cotto-n or lead woolmixed with cement. Each section 34 is reinforced and` confined at itslower end and at its outer wall-by a lead cap 35.

A llftenhead 36 is carried at the lower end of the barrel 8 and closesthe latter,

the lifter head preferably being hemispheri cal in shape and beingprovided with a central socket 37 in the fiat face thereof threadedlyengaged with the barrel 8 sosthat an annular shoulder extendingoutwardly from the barrel is defined at 38 and upon this annularshoulder is disposed a gasket 39.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. The stem 2with the wellstopper attached thereto inthe manner described is lowered into the wellbore to a desired position in the latter. The curved face of the lifterhead36 is lowermost and therefore very little resistance is interposedto the passage of oil, wa-

.ter or other fluid upwardly about the lifter head through the port 21intoy the barrel 8. Thence, the fluid passes throughfthe port 5 into thespace between the stem 2 and the well bore and is free to Apass upwardlyinthe latter. When the stopper has been lowered to a desired position inthe well bore, an upward pull on the stem will result in the lockingdogs 27 being cammed downwardly and outwardly in respect to thesuspension frame 13 until the teeth 29 bite into the wall of the wellbore. The suspension frame 13 will then be held against upward movementin the bore v.and continuation of the pull will result in the breakin@of the frangible suspension element 9. Cbntinuation ofthe upward pullthen will result in the barrel 8 moving upwardly in the bore relativelyto the suspension frame. The portion of the barrel 8 provided with theport 21 will be received within the sleeve 10 and the gasket 39 will becompressed between the lifter head 36 and the nut 30, thereby preventingthe passage of fluid from the space below the lifter head into thebarrel 8. Further upward movement of the stem after the lifter head 36is in engagement with the nut 30 will cause the sleeve 10 to be liftedbodily in the direction of its length, thereby compressing the sectionsof the expansible closure body 31 and expanding such closure bodyradially until the closure tightly interfits the bore as illustrated inFigure 2. The teeth 24 of the slide blocks- 23 will engage with thebarrel 8 to prevent downward movement of the latter relatively to thesuspension frame 13 and 'the frangible suspension element 9 will breakwhen the resistance offered by the expanded closure is sufiicient toovercome the strength of such suspension element. The stem 2 may then bewithdrawn bodily from the well bore and the latter will be closedagainst the pass'age of fluid therethrough from the space below thestopper to the space above the stopper. The cementitious materialentering into the composition of the closure section 34 will set whenthe latter are in expanded position and the stopper thus will bepermanently secured in position within the well bore..

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms. otherthan that illuslll) 'suspension frame adapted to be lowered in a wellbore, locking-means carried by the suspension frame for engaging thewall of the bore to hold the frame against upward movement in the bore,an elongated radially expansible closure carried at the lower end of thesuspension frame, means extending vertically through the closure and thesuspension frameiwhereby the closure may be expanded radially, andfrangible means-connecting said suspension frame with said closureexpanding means and normally preventing operation of the latter.

2. A well stopper comprising an annular suspension frame adapted to belowered in a well bore, locking means carried by the suspension framefor engaging the wall of the bore to hold the frame against upwardmovement in the bore, an elongated radially expansible closure carriedat the lower end of the suspension frame, means extending verticallythrough the closure and the suspension frame whereby the closure may beexpanded radially, a frangible element for suspending the suspensionframe from a stem depending in ,the well bore, a second frangibleelen'lent having greater strength than the iirst frangible element forsuspending said closure expanding means from said stem, and lockingmeans arranged between said suspension frame and said closure expandingmeans for holding the latter against downward movement relatively to thesuspension frame while permitting upward movement of the closureexpanding means relatively to the suspension frame.

ln a well stopper, an annular sus-` pension frame, a. barrel dependingthrough said suspension frame, a vertically compressible radiallyexpansible closure body carried by the suspension frame in encirclingrelation to the barrel adjacent to the lower end of the latter, saidbarrel having a lateral port in the portion thereof depending below saidclosure body, a lifter head at the lower end of the barrel, andfrangible suspension elements for respectively connecting saidsuspension frame and said barrel with a source of lifting power andbeing adapted to break under stress in the order named, means carried bythe suspension 'frame for engaging with the wall of the well bore `tohold the Suspension frame against upward movement in the well bore, andmeans arranged between the suspension frame and the barrel for holdingthe latter against downward movement relatively to the suspensionelement and for permitting upward movement of the barrel relatively tothe suspension frame.

Ll. In a well`stopper, an annular suspension frame, a barrel dependingthrough said suspension frame, a vertically compressible radiallyexpansible closure body carried by the suspension frame in encirclingrelation to the barrel adjacent to the lower end of the latter, saidbarrel having a lateral port in the portion thereof depending below saidclosure body, a lifter head at the lower end of the. barrel, frangiblesuspension elements for respectively connecting said suspension frameand said barrel with a source of lifting power and being adapted tobreak under stress in the order named, means carried by the suspensionframe for engaging with the wall of the well bore to hold the suspensionframe against upward movementin the well bore, means arranged betweenthe suspension frame and the barrel for holdingl the latter againstdownward movement relatively to the suspension element and forpermitting upward movement of the barrel relatively to the suspensionframe, and means carried by the lifter head on the barrel for sealingthe joint between the lower end of the barrel and the closure when thebarrel is in lifted position.

5. In a well stopper, an annular suspension element adapted to belowered in a well bore and to be held against upward movement in thewell bore, a sleeve supported upon the suspension frame to depend belowthe lower end of the latter, said sleeve being movable upward, a stop atthe lower end of the sleeve, a vertically compresssible radiallyexpansible annular body encircling the sleeve and extending between thestop and the lower end of the suspension frame, a barrelr dependingthrough the suspension frame, and through the sleeve, said barrel beingmounted to slide in the direction of its length independently of thesuspension frame, said barrel having a lateral port in the depending endportion thereof, means for preventing downward movement of the barrelrelatively to the suspension frame, and a head at the lower end of thebarrel closing the lower end of the barrel and for engaging with thelower end of the sleeve upon a determined upward movement of the barrelto close the lower end of the sleeve and to cause upward compression andradial expansion of the closure.

GEORGE HENRY MCLEAN.

